Ngwa Governorship Aspirants Unite In Bid To Succeed T A Orji

Contrary to the insinuation that governorship aspirants from the Abia South Senatorial District ahead of the 2015 governorship election in Abia State will stick to their guns in terms of not agreeing to stepping down for a consensus Ukwa Ngwa  candidate, the aspirants met for the first on Good Friday with selected traditional rulers at the Palace of Eze Eberechi Dick, the chairman, Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, in Obingwa Local Government Area of the state, where they agreed to work together in the greater interest of the state, stressing that the 2015 governorship is not a do-or-die.

 

Among the aspirants who attended the meeting include former deputy governor of the state, Chief Acho Nwakamma, the deputy General manager of the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, Barr. Friday Nwosu and Hon. Uche Nwankpa, while Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe was represented by Mr. Ibe Nwadioha. 

 

Speaking while addressing the aspirants Eze Eberechi Dick appealed to the aspirants to eschew bitterness and place the interest of the state above their individual interest. 

 

The Monarch stressed that everything must be done to ensure the actualization of Abia State governor of Ukwa Ngwa extraction in 2015 which according to him, is part of the legacies the state governor, Chief T. A Orji has is poised to leave behind. 

 

His words: "We are not just your traditional rulers, but your fathers. It is our duty to call all of you as our children to speak to you. We must do everything to ensure that an Ngwa man become governor of Abia in 2015. Our governor, Chief T. A Orji loves Ngwa people and he has continuously said that he will handover to an Ngwa man in 2015, it is part of the legacies projects he wants to leave behind, and we will held him actualize it. 

 

"All of you will not be governor at the same time. Only one of the you will be governor, therefore, we will appeal to all of you to be ready to accept any of you that the state will present at the end of the day. We don't want you to be fighting yourselves, calling yourselves names. Don't sell your brother to an outside because you want to be governor. Even though al of you are aspiring to be governor, we urge you to see yourselves as one." 

 

In their reactions, the aspirants who spoke one after another, said that whoever among them that emerges the concerns candidate will get the support of others. 

 

In his words, chief Acho Nwakamma, stressed that there is need for them to unite to ensure that an Ngwa becomes the governor of Abia in 2015! Adding that the 2015 governorship is not a do-or-die. He added that it is only God that gives power, and commended the traditional rulers for their intervention in making sure that they (aspirants) work in the interest of their people.

 

His words: "I must commend Ndi Eze (traditional rulers) for this meeting. It is necessary and important. We must unite despite the number of aspirants so far from Obingwa. It is God that makes governor. We don't need to quarrel about it. It is not a do or die affair for us. Don't sale your brother in your effort to seek support elsewhere. Don't talk about anybody, talk about yourself and what you will do."

 

On his part Nwosu said: "only God will determine who will be governor. I am ready to step down for a better person. But we must stop castigating ourselves. I will support any consensus candidate. It is not about me, but it is about Abia State and our people. We must ensure that the effort of our dear governor to handover to us in 2015 will be frustrated."

 

Hon. Uche Nwankpa in his response said: "let us not castigate ourselves, we all must be bad. Only one of us will be governor, and whoever becomes that person will get the support of all of us. And anybody that works against our consensus, we shall all work against him."

 

Abaribe who was represented by Mr. Ibe Nwadioha, said: "let's have the spirit of sportsman. In politics if you win embrace those who didn't win, but if you don't win embrace the winner."

 

Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, in his comment said: "I sincerely thank our fathers, (traditional rulers) for this meeting. People out there think this kind of meeting is impossible among us, but today we have meet, and we shall continue to meet. I commend the traditional rulers for their effort to ensure that we are united. We must be united to be governor. I can't be governor without the support of every Abian, and none of us here can be governor without the support of the three senatorial zones in the state.

 

"Let me also say that being a governor is a call to service. It is not about me, but the people. If you volunteer yourself to serve and your people say wait let your Brouwer go, it should not call for fight about us. We must take advantage of the support of our governor, who has insisted that he will handover power to ukwa ngwa in 2015 despite the pressure on him."